My Inner Child
by Ninvampirate
Summary: Chikara's unhappy marriage with Akihiko drove her to the country as a means of escape. She meets and befriends Kanji, who makes her feel like a kid again. Meanwhile, blind Bunny has an unrequited love for Teddie.
1. Preface

Yu Narukami, Chie Satonaka, Yukiko Amagi, and Yosuke Hanamura are four second-year students at Yasogami High School. The boys are staring blankly, mouth agape, at Mr. Morooka's new apprentice. They are shocked that this person was taken under the teacher's wing since, for starters, she's female.

"I…I thought King Moron hated women…" Yosuke, a young man with unkempt brown hair and large headphones around his neck, puts Yu's thoughts into words as they continue to stare. "She looks like she's still in college..."

Yu nods in agreement. That's the second surprise. The apprentice looks like a teenager, another type of person Morooka despises. The girl has long jet-black hair and lime green eyes. She's wearing an orange flowery sundress and round narrow glasses. She has a notebook in hand, possibly used to write her mentor's "wise" knowledge.

"Alright, alright, shut yer traps!" the teacher snaps. "This young lady is aspiring to become a philosophy teacher too. As _my_ apprentice, you _perverts_ better not try anything with her or you'll answer to me!"

His nasty stare, bad haircut, overbite, and unpleasant attitude makes the class wonder what possessed this girl to work for him.

"I can trust you to keep them in check while I'm on an errand, right?" As if he flipped an internal switch, Mr. Morooka's voice becomes gentle and scowl disappears. The girl nods and takes his place in front of the classroom. He leaves as soon as he's given the chance.

"Hello, everyone!" she states. "My name is Chikara Sanada. I'm a recent graduate of Gekkoukan High School, and I'll be teaching in Mr. Morooka's stead every now and then. It's nice to meet you all!"

"Wait, Sanada?" a female student speaks up. "Are you related to Akihiko Sanada?"

"Yes, he's my husband. Why?" she tilts her head. She had no idea that people outside the island knew about him.

"Really? The boxer?!"

"Akihiko…Sanada?" Yukiko, a popular humble girl with long dark hair and red clothing, mumbles.

"You know him, Yukiko?" her tomboyish best friend Chie, who sports a green jacket and short light-brown hair, wonders.

"I think he came to our inn once or twice, but I don't recall him having a woman with him…"

"Huh. Maybe they're newlyweds. I mean, she's practically our age."

"I suppose…"

"How'd you two meet?" a random student asks Chikara.

"Ah, I remember it well…He tried to pick a fight with me when he thought I was a boy."

Silence. How the hell…?

"He thought _she_ was a boy?!" Yosuke exclaims, cueing Chikara to explain.

"Well, this was back when I had really short hair and was, well, forced to wear the male school uniform. My friend didn't want other boys to hit on me…His hypocrisy was _almost_ funny... Anyway, Aki challenged me when I, er, said something impolite. I thought 'Alright, fine, let's get it over with'. It...lasted about as quickly as I expected, just with the opposite result. That's when Junpei, that's my friend's name, stepped in and told Aki I was the new girl everyone was talking about. After that, he acted really awkward around me. Haha, imagine his surprise when he found out I was going to live in the same dorm as him. He nearly had a heart attack when I walked through the front door."

A few classmates laugh before Chikara continues her story. Yu listens in occasionally but is still a bit groggy from his previous visit to the peculiar world inside the TV. He wonders what Teddie's up to...

* * *

><p>"Hrm...What's taking them?" a strange-looking blue bear with large eyes and clown-like clothing is waiting for his friends to arrive. For who knows how long, he and his companion Bunny have lived alone in an odd dimension engulfed in yellow fog. Yu and the others either stumbled upon it or were kidnapped and forced there.<p>

"Be patient, Teddie..." Bunny states before yawning. "They'll come. They have to as long as people are thrown in here..."

"Y-You mean they won't show up just to visit us?! What a cruel thing to say!" the bear pouts. His pal, with floppy long ears surrounded by shoulder length white hair and an indifferent expression, shrugs. Teddie can feel the motion on his back as the girl, once again, hitches a piggyback ride. He grew accustomed to it since Bunny became blind recently.

"Well, either way, I'll be happy once our world becomes normal again." Teddie sighs. "The fog'll clear and you'll get your sight back. That's all that matters to me."

"...I know." Bunny grins as her beloved Teddie expresses concern for her.


	2. Chapter 1

After school, Chikara exhales satisfactorily, smoothes her dress, and leans against the large desk behind her. She watches as students not much younger than her rush out of the classroom. Her first official day as a teacher was successful but she can't help but feel a little down.

A lone silver hair-haired young man stands in front of her. She quickly covers her sullen mood with a bright smile.

"Oh, is there something you need, Yu?" she asks, proud of herself for memorizing the students' names in one day.

"Are you okay?"

"Me? Oh, yes. I'm just a little tired, is all…"

In a way, she isn't lying. The boy doesn't look too convinced, so Chikara sighs dejectedly.

"Just homesick, I guess," she states the partial truth.

Yu nods understandingly before she remembers something.

"That's right…You just moved here yourself. How are you? Did you make any friends?"

Yu nods again.

"…You don't talk much, do you?" the jet-black-haired woman raises an eyebrow. Her student shrugs.

…

On her way home, Chikara pauses in front of a building labeled Tatsumi Textiles. Intrigued, she approaches the store and peers through the windows. She sees a variety of different-colored cloths and scarves. An elderly woman in a green kimono is tending to the shop. Chikara, who has a weakness for anything cute or pretty, gulps. She's not in Inaba to shop! She has a budget! She…must…resist…

"Oh, welcome!"

…Curse you, legs! Chikara, embarrassed, waves at the petite woman.

"Is there anything in particular you would like, dear?"

"Um…N-No, just…looking around…" Chikara claims before she's drawn to a red scarf enveloped in flowers. She runs her fingers through the material.

"This is _beautiful_…" she coos.

"Do you like that one, dear? It's meant to be a couple's scarf, but a previous customer only asked for one of them."

"I-I love it! How much does it…?"

Chikara trails off when a figure catches her eye. She sees a young man strolling through the shop with an apple in hand. He has bleached platinum-blond hair, several earrings, punk-like clothing, and a permanent glare. He glances at Chikara and snarls at her before gnawing at the fruit. …Charming…

"I think you have a wild animal in your shop…" the woman says without thinking. Her lips tighten. She promised Akihiko she would be nicer!

"…?" the shop owner looks around until she spots the rude boy. "Kanji! Please come here and introduce yourself to our guest!"

Kanji inches toward his mother and Chikara while taking another bite out of his snack.

"Um…Hello…My name's Chikara," the jet-black-haired woman says amiably while bowing. "Did you help your mom make this stuff?"

The man's eyes widen slightly before he opened his mouth to say something. He stops himself and looks away. Confused, Chika decides to continue.

"I always wanted to learn how to sew. Maybe you can teach me sometime," she says, giggling.

"Wh…You makin' fun of me?!" Kanji snaps, clenching onto his fruit. Chikara and Mrs. Tatsumi flinch from the sudden outburst.

"What? N-No, I was just...It was a joke. I-"

"What's so funny about it, huh?!"

"Kanji!" his mother speaks up, shutting up the fuming boy. "Behave yourself!"

"…Tch…I better not see you again." He says before leaving. Chikara watches him as she attempts to figure out what she did wrong.

"That will be 1200 yen, please," Mrs. Tatsumi states as if nothing happened.

* * *

><p>In the Junes department store, Yu, Chie, Yosuke, and Yukiko stand in front of a big screen television while in their school uniforms. Underneath their clothing is armor and weapons they bought from Deidara Metal Works. After ensuring that there are no passersby, the group enters a world inside the TV. They fall through a black and white vortex and land in Teddie and Bunny's home. Their meeting place looks like a crime scene with a target in the middle of a television studio.<p>

"Sensei!" Teddie exclaims before readjusting the girl he's carrying on his back. "There's a powerful shadow in the room you found Yukiko!"

"I dunno, Ted…Don't you think those girls are too weak to fight this one?" Bunny sneers. "They might break a nail…"

"…Ahaha…Bunny Rabbit, you're so _funny_." the blue bear pinches his friend's leg.

"Ow! What was that fo-"

"So, you guys should get going! Heh heh…"

"Oh, um, alright…" Yukiko, who is personally involved with the dungeon, nods and leads the way. The group soon sees a gargantuan castle surrounded by a striped red and black atmosphere and statues of horses. Yu and the others enter the building after Teddie and Bunny wish them luck.

"…Bunny, would it kill you to be nicer to the girls?" the bear asks while trailing behind their fiends. Bunny sighs.

"Sorry, Teddie, but I can't help it," she assures while nuzzling her friend's soft fur with her cheek. "How else could I keep them away from you?"

"Wha? Why?!"

"You're a huge pervo and I don't want you to try anything."

"That's not true!"

"Oh really?" Bunny smirks before tenderly petting Teddie. Once she feels his ahoge, she twirls it with her finger. "Teddie-kins…Do you want to score with me…?"

"R…Really?!" Teddie blushes before getting a bop on the head.

"No, stupid. I'm just making a point." Bunny groans.

"I smell two enemies! Hang in there!" he states suddenly. Bunny knows he's talking to the fighters just up ahead. "Honestly, you should have a little more faith in me. …That was coooool, Yosuke!"

"Why should I? You see another girl for the first time and you're all over her."

"So? I'm a boy! …F-Five ememies?! Don't get discouraged!" Teddie makes another outburst. "Besides, why should it matter to you who I flirt with? …It looks like it's beeeeary weak to electricity! Heh heh!"

Bunny cringes when Teddie uses one of his infamous bear puns.

"Because…I…Can we talk about this later? You're busy…" the blind girl murmurs.

"No! You're my best friend, my Bunny Rabbit! Two enemies left! I don't want you to be mad at me…"

"Teddie…I'm not mad. I'm just wondering why I put up with your womanizing ways…"

"Because I'm irresistibly charming." The bear coos before receiving another smack on the head from his annoyed friend.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Vroom…Vroooooooooom…<strong>_

"Ngh…" Chikara's eyes flutter open when she's awoken by a loud noise. "W…What is…Oh…right…biker gangs…"

She recalls the news special she watched before going to bed. Exhausted and irritated, the girl grabs her alarm clock and checks the time. It's 3 a.m.

"Ugggh…" she groans. "Okay…Okay…Just ignore it, Chika…Ignore it…Be nice…You promised Aki…"

_**VROOOOOOOOOOM…**_

…It sounds like they're getting closer. Chikara takes her pillow and practically smothers herself with it to drown out the noise.

"Be nice…Be niiice…" she chants but to no avail. Her first few days in Inaba were tiring and she refuses to lose sleep because of a bunch of hooligans.

"…I'll just politely ask them to stop…" she mutters through gritted teeth as she puts on her glasses.

…

She eventually finds the source of the noise and keeps a safe distance from the reckless drivers. One of the bikers sees her and smirks.

"Hey! Hey, guys, look a'this!" he waves to catch his friends' attention. "Check out the chick in the robe!"

"Hey there, cutie!" another biker says. "You wanna hang with us?"

"You think my standards are that low…?" Chikara says, yawning.

"What'd you say? ...Ohhh, I see, she already got hitched!" the first guy announces while grabbing the hand Chika used to cover her mouth and showing her wedding ring to his friends. She snatches it away, losing her patience.

"You can have a little fun for one night, right?" another biker says, invading her personal space. "Keep it between us...?"

"…Don't make me hurt you…" she grumbles.

"RAAAAAH!"

Chikara and the bikers nearly jump out of their skin when they hear someone make a battle cry. They whirl around to see a young man in punk-like clothing beating the crap out of nearby motorcyclists.

"Someone's attacking us!" the flirty biker states the obvious. "I'll deal with you later, beautiful."

He rushes off to help his friends. Chikara, much to her dismay, recognizes the man attacking the gang.

"You've got to be kidding me…" she pinches the bridge of her nose before running to the uncivilized blond she met earlier today. Kanji sees Chikara while he's holding a semiconscious man by the shirt.

"You again?" he says.

Chikara cracks her knuckles. She figures that she can release some pent-up rage on these bikers while no one important is around to watch.

"Hey, I don't need your help!" the platinum-blond shouts before dropping the body.

"And I don't _need_ your permission, asshole!"

"…Fine! But I ain't responsible for ya, got it?"

"I can take care of myself, but thanks for your concern..."

A cyclist charges at her and attempts to punch her. Chikara dodges the attack and grabs him by his left arm and the right side of his shirt. She then puts her foot on his upper leg and yanks him forward. She rolls onto her back and, using her body as a catapult, throws the man over herself. He lands on his head before tumbling onto his backside.

"Akihiko Sanada was my mentor for a few years. I think I got this," Chikara continues while standing.

"…You for serious?" Kanji says. How about that, Aki _is_ famous. Kanji finally stops lashing out on her and allows her to help. He uses brute strength by punching the daylights out of those who come too close. Chikara strategizes her attacks based on how the bikers assault her. A boy grabs her by the shoulders and tries to push her down. She imitates his gestures and matches his strength. Chikara sweeps under him with her right leg, tripping him. As he falls, she lunges him over her body and sends him flying. She unintentionally sends him in Kanji's direction, but the platinum blond sees him and elbows him in the mouth. Chikara nods at him and, for the first time, he grins at her.

"Watch out!" he exclaims before running to Chika and tackling her. They slide a few feet on the ground.

"Dude, you almost broke my glasses!" Chikara readjusts them before seeing a motorcycle speeding by them. The cyclists decided to play dirty and tried to run her over.

"You idiot! Watch where you're going!" Kanji sounds angry but looks almost worried.

"…Thanks…" Chikara is surprised that the man who hates her so much saved her life. Kanji nods before getting up. He lets out his hand and his comrade grabs it before he yanks her up. The boy on the motorcycle tries to hurt them again but they move out of the way and lift him by the arms. His bike drives off on its own as Kanji and Chikara forces the delinquent onto his back. The impact causes him to hit his head on the hard ground and knock him out.

After a short while, the remaining bikers drive away either out of fear or to get reinforcements. Chikara doubles over and catches her breath. Since it's been the first time in years since she fought something, she's not as fit as she used to be.

"That…wasn't…so bad…" she says between breaths.

"I could've handled it myself!" Kanji yells at her. Chikara stares disbelievingly at him. This ungrateful little…

"Have you ever heard of 'thank you'?" Chikara sneers while dusting herself off.

"Have you ever heard of 'butt out'?"

"Hey, I had to help your sorry _butt out_ when you were being trampled by those bikers!"

"I was doin' just fine! …And didn't I tell you to stay away from me?! Are you deaf?!"

"Are you _stupid_?"

"Wha-"

"I was making an innocent joke because you live at a textile shop you flipped your shit!"

"…Huh?"

"Yeah, genius. If I hurt your feelings for whatever, I'm sorry, but grow a damn spine!"

"…B…But I thought…"

"What, what? That I'd laugh at you for liking to sew? I used to live with a man who liked to cook, and I..."

Chikara decides to stop herself when Kanji gets the point.

"…I…didn't know…" Kanji is in complete shock. Usually people are revolted by his more feminine characteristics. But this girl…

"Well, next time think before you pounce on your customers…" Chikara sighs before smiling. "Now…I don't think you properly introduced yourself. You're…Kanji Tatsumi, right?"

"Er…Yeah. You still remember my name?"

"It reminds me of home." the girl shrugs before something blinds her temporarily. She uses her hand as a visor as she sees more bikers and a van. A man with a video camera is sticking out of the van and taping the bikers as the group of vehicles surround Chikara and Kanji.

"Perfect, now the news is here…" Chika groans. She does a quick once-over on Kanji. Judging by his appearance, the news crew will think he's one of them…and she'll be dragged into the commotion as well. Wonderful. Once the cameraman aims his equipment at Kanji, the boy gets angry again.

"What're you punks doin' here?!" he shouts. Chikara watches nervously as the remaining bikers rush to their downed brethren and glare at her shortly after.

"Kanji, provoking them might not be the best course of action..."

"This ain't a show! Get bent!" Kanji ignores the girl as he punches the cameraman in the stomach. Chaos ensues once again and Chikara has no choice but to fight back.

"I just wanted to get some sleeheeheep…" she whines while trying her damnedest not to face the camera.


	3. Chapter 2

Chikara toddles back home and collapses onto her bed. She takes off her glasses and places them on the nightstand next to her her alarm clock and cell phone. The moment she does, her cell starts ringing. Her face falls onto her pillow as she contemplates whether or not to ignore the person.

"Ugh…why, phone, whahahy…?" she groans before grabbing the device and sliding it across the night table. Her arm droops on the side of the bed as she feebly presses the talk button. After turning her head, she lifts her hand, drops her phone onto her visible ear and scratchily says "Hello…?".

_"Hey, Chika. It's me."_

A bolt of nostalgia hits Chikara's body after she hears her husband's voice for the first time in days. She quickly sits up and straightens her night clothes as if Akihiko is right in front of her.

"Hi, Aki!" she grins. "What're you doing, calling me at…" she squints at her clock, "4:30 in the morning?"

_"Haha, sorry. I wasn't going to call at first since I didn't want to seem worried, but…uh…"_

"So you decide to call me now? God, you're so awkward…" Chikara says while covering her face with her hand. Akihiko laughs again.

_"So, how are things in Inaba?"_

"Okay, but…well, there's this one kid…Kinda tall with a cut above his eyebrow like yours, has some obsession with machismo…He's a lot like you. He even picked a fight with me, haha."

_"What?! Do I need to come over there?"_

"…Akihiko Sanada, I am insulted!" Chika scoffs. "I can take care of myself, you know…"

_"Well, what did you do? I thought you said you'd be nice…"_

"I am! I just made a joke and he snapped."

_"Well, your jokes aren't exactly..."_

"Any. Way. It's nothing I can't handle. I plan on paying him a visit tomorrow to see what makes him tick."

_"Well…alright…but don't let your curiosity get the best of you, okay?"_

"When has that ever happened?"

_"When you moved into our dorm with Junpei."_

"…My point is, I have a new project and I need some sleep. I'll talk to you later…during the day."

…

"…and that concludes today's lecture," Chikara states after the school bell rings. Chie raises her hand. "Yes?"

"Um…Where'd you get that scarf…?" she asks, referring to the woman's recent purchase tied around her neck.

"The textile shop not far from here. Why?"

"N-No reason! I was just wondering…"

Chika cocks an eyebrow before dismissing the class. As most of the students scramble out of the classroom, Yu pauses in front of the teacher's desk as Chika leans against it.

"Hey, Yu!" she gleams. "Do you need something?"

"Can I walk you home, Mrs. Sanada?" he asks straight out. Chikara raises an eyebrow at the random question.

"Oh...Um…It's nice of you to offer, but…" she shakes her head, "I already have plans. Maybe next time."

Yu nods and smiles before exiting the room. Chikara watches him leave. She eventually shrugs off the incident and makes her way to Tatsumi Textiles. She enters the shop and is greeted by its owner. Chikara returns the gesture and leans in to observe the different pieces of cloth on display. The warm colors and soft material of the merchandise make her almost glad that she moved to a rural area. She's so distracted that she doesn't hear Kanji enter the room.

"W-What the hell are you doin' here again?!" he says, snapping Chikara out of her trance. Instead of replying weakly to his rough treatment like last time, she grins and almost knocks him down with a hug.

"Just the guy I wanted to see!" she exclaims as she pulls away. Kanji, totally flustered, only blinks. "…What's wrong, buddy?"

"I-I'm not your 'buddy', alright?" the platinum-blond murmurs.

"You're not? But…yesterday we worked so well together and…you saved my life…and…and…" Chikara's eyes are brimming with tears.

"That's not gonna work."

"...You're no fun at all," Chikara says as her tears magically vanish. "Well, I'm not going anywhere so get over it, _buddy_."

"Whatever. ...So you, uh, said somethin' about sewing?" Kanji smiles bitterly.

"_Now_ you're listening to me?"

* * *

><p>In the TV world, Yu, Yosuke, Yukiko, and Chie put on their glasses and attempt to reach the powerful shadow atop Yukiko's castle again. Before leaving, Yosuke informs Teddie of the blurry image they saw on the Midnight Channel last night.<p>

"Hmm…You guys need to keep your eyes peeled and try to keep this person from being thrown in here." Teddie warns and Bunny, once again on his back, nods in agreement.

"Alright. Let's go then…" Yukiko states reluctantly, walking toward the castle that houses unpleasant memories. The others follow.

"…I want to join them." Bunny says randomly. Teddie flinches as his pupils shrink in terror.

"What?!"

"I'm tired of being in the sidelines."

"But it's dangerous!" the strange blue bear yells.

Their bickering causes the quartet of fighters to pause and turn around with worried expressions.

"Well, I want to be in the action," Bunny's ears perk up from excitement and mischievous intent. "Maybe even help them out."

"Why _now_? You didn't care before. Is it because you're still mad at me?"

"It's not always about you, Teddie." Bunny groans. "What, you think I can't take care of myself just because I'm blind?"

"Well, yeah! Yeah, that's exactly why!"

_~And one of us would have to carry you…~_ their friends think in unison. Yukiko decides to butt in before the argument elevates to violence.

"Excuse me…" she says as she approaches them. "I'm sorry, but…you two have been fighting a lot lately and it's quite distracting when we fight Shadows…"

"You could hear us, Yuki-chan?" Teddie asks.

"You're...not very subtle," she tells him. "I think it would be best if you spent some time apart…Bunny can come with us."

Yukiko lets out her hand to take Bunny's, but receives a menacing growl when she gets too close to Teddie. Yukiko recoils and looks back at her friends, silently asking for their assistance.

"I'll carry her!" Yosuke immediately volunteers. Bunny is taken aback decides it's better than showing the girls any amiability. Yosuke rushes to the couple and attempts to move the blind girl from Teddie's back to his own. The bear is unwilling to let go of her.

"We promise to take care of her, Teddie." Yukiko assures.

"Yeah, you can trust us!" Chie nods. After a few seconds, Teddie cooperates. Bunny straddles onto Yosuke's back. She immediately starts to tremble, but not from the impending danger. This will be the first time she's separated from her beloved Teddie. Yosuke quickly catches on as he follows his friends to the castle. He stops before releasing one of Bunny's legs. He grabs the large headphones on his neck. Yosuke then brushes them against one of Bunny's hands, which is clenching tightly onto his shoulder.

"Here. Put these on your ears." He tells her. Confused, the white-haired girl takes the object while maintaining her balance. She waits for Yosuke to wrap his arm around her drooping leg to familiarize herself with the shape of the headphones. She then places the speakers onto her long ears. Once she hears Yosuke's music, she finally understands what the boy intended to do.

"…Thank you…" she mumbles before placing her hands on his shoulders. The brunet smirks before following his comrades to their destination.

Starting on the fifth floor of the dungeon, Yu unintentionally leads the others to dead ends and rooms with lone, useless treasures inside. They have yet to reach any enemies so far so they start chatting.

"Shadows." Bunny mumbles.

"Huh?" Yosuke asks. The others quiet down.

"Shadows…around that corner. Three," she takes a whiff. "...no, four of them."

She points at the hallway in front of them. The team heeds Bunny's warning and prepare themselves for what's to come. Yosuke follows suit but is hastily reminded that he has a defenseless girl on his back.

"Uh…I guess I'll wait here for you guys." He states. The others nod before moving on. Sure enough the swinging of a sword, the impact of a powerful kick, and the swooshing of a fan can be heard shortly after.

"Wow…You're pretty good. How'd you know?" Yosuke wonders. Bunny barely hears him over the music.

"…Shadows smell like Teddie." Bunny replies.

"Oh. You two are pretty close, huh?"

"…I love him."

"Really…Wait, really? _Him_?"

"Yes…He's kind…"

"Kind, huh?" Yosuke sounds doubtful as he reminisces about his second encounter with the strange bear. Teddie threatened to trap him and Yu inside the TV world if they refused to find the person throwing people inside. "Well, does he know?"

"No. Please don't tell him..."

"You sure? I mean, I think he'd be thrilled to hook up with a pretty girl."

"…Pretty…?" the long-eared girl says under her breath.

* * *

><p>The next day, Chikara drops by the textile shop again. Kanji is shocked that she came back but doesn't try to force her to leave.<p>

"Don't you have your own house?" he asks as he sits at the dinner table.

"Yeah, but," Chika shrugs while joining him, "this place is…cozier, so I'll stay here for a bit."

"…Tch, pain in the ass…"

Chika laughs at Kanji's comment but notices that the boy is distracted. He even looks a bit nervous.

"Something wrong, buddy?"

"N-No! It's nothing…" the blond looks away.

"Come ooooooon…"

"I said no!"

"Tell meeeeee…"

"I'm warning you, I-"

"Tellmetellmetellmetellmetellmetellmepleasepleasep leasepleaseplea-" Each time she says 'tell me' or 'please' she pokes Kanji on the arm. She backs up when he snaps toward her, fists at the ready. Chika holds her hands up defensively. "Alright...Alright...We're cool."

After a few seconds Kanji calms down. Chikara rubs her chin and squints at him.

"...Did someooone make fun of your hobby?"

No response.

"...Did someoooone...beat you in a fight?"

Still nothing.

"Okay, I'm gonna get it eventually," Chikara gleams, earning a groan from the platinum blond. "...Did someoooone...do something to Mrs. Tatsumi?"

"..."

"Steal from you?"

"..."

"Threaten your masculinity?"

He stiffens suddenly and his eyes widen. The teacher notices before he could recover.

"Oh, oh, I saw that! I'm getting close, aren't I? What happened? Tell me? Tell me? Will you tell me? Tell me. Come on tell me, you know I won't give up till you tell me so tell me come on tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me," she goes back to poking the man, who's reaching his limit. This time she's prepared for a punch, so long as she gets some kind of response.

"A BOY…" the man speaks.

"…?"

"…asked…me…out."

"…What, that's it?" Chikara tries not to giggle as Kanji seems genuinely worried about this.

"Whaddya mean 'that's it'? I…I ain't…y'know…that way…"

"Well, did you say no?"

"…Not…exactly…"

"So you do swing that way…You're at least curious about it…"

"No I'm not!"

"Then…why say yes? I'm confused."

"Because…! I…well…I-I don't know, dammit!" Kanji buries his face in his hands, resting his elbows on the table. "Great, now you're probably gonna tell someone about it..."

"What, me? Nooo, no, no, no, no. I mean, you already have some dirt on me. To rat you out would be stupid."

"...I do?"

"...Listen carefully," Chikara sighs. "About that biker incident..."

"Yeah, Ma went apeshit on me 'cause of that...How'd the camera miss your face?"

"I was careful, unlike you. Now...I'm a teacher at Yasogami, okay? No joke, I work there with one of the biggest hardasses there. Me being involved with the fight can_not_ be known. I'd be as good as fired."

"...Oh," Kanji starts to catch on and nods. "Yeah, that's right! So you better not say a word or else!"

"I'll take it to my grave," Chika pretends to look defeated. "So about your date...Think of it this way. Whenever someone is uncertain about a theory and would like some answers, what do they do?"

"…Uh…"

"…Work with me, kid. They _experiment_. Go on the date and see how things work out! Is he cute?"

"Y…Yeah…" Kanji nods, blushing. "I-I mean, for a dude."

"Then go for it! Come on, buddy, I'll root for you!"

"Okay…Thanks."

…

After school the following day, Chikara waits for Kanji to prepare for his date in the men's bathroom. She then follows him to the school gates (while trying to no avail to calm him down) and ducks behind them before his mysterious admirer appears. Chika watches in shock as a miniature boy with a hat, platform shoes, and a love for the color blue approaches her friend.

"I didn't keep you waiting, I hope?" the boy says.

"No, I-I just got here too…" Kanji responds anxiously. With that, the couple walks off.

"Um, buddy, that's not…" Chikara speaks up while coming out of hiding, but they don't hear her. She attempts to stop them…

"What in the world was _that_?"

…but freezes when she hears a familiar voice. She soon sees Yu and his friends from her peripheral vision. The group practically jumps out of their skin when they're caught spying by their teacher.

"…What're you guys doing?" Chika asks.

"W-We were just on our way home, Mrs. Sanada! Heh heh…heh…" Yosuke lies poorly.

"…Whatever it is, don't let Kanji catch you. Making that boy your enemy is the last thing you want to do."

"So…we're not in trouble?"

"No worries, my lips are sealed…" the teacher gazes at her silver-haired acquaintance, "as long as Yu walks me home after school tomorrow."

Yu nods with a gentle smile as Yosuke stares at them dumbfounded.


	4. Chapter 3

Chikara is intrigued that one of her students asked her out. She's positive that she mentioned her husband before. The young man's bold, she'll give him that. While watching her mentor yell at and demean his students, she takes thorough notes. Her memos basically say to do the opposite of what Mr. Morooka is doing. She sometimes makes accidental eye-contact with Yu. He's forcing a smile but she doesn't question why. After school, the silver-haired student approaches the young woman, who is habitually leaning against the teacher's desk and taking a breather.

"Hey there, Yu! Ready for our 'date'?" Chikara asks, giggling. Yu shakes his head.

"Sorry, but I have plans."

…Why didn't you say something yesterday?

"You're turning me down? Awww…" the teacher teases. "Next time, then."

Yu nods before leaving. It appears that his friends were waiting for him just outside the classroom.

This bothers Chika. Ever since their encounter at the school gates she's been wondering what their relationship was with Kanji. They're going out in a group again and whatever they're about to do is urgent. Evidence of Kanji being in danger is piling up. Is he okay? Chikara decides to check up on him as soon as she could.

"I'm sorry dear, but Kanji stepped out quite a while ago," the elderly shop owner states. Chikara's shoulders droop. Now what?

"Oh…Okay…May I please wait here until he comes back?"

"Of course. Come right in."

Chikara enters the shop. She is once again surrounded by a variation of colors and material but is not as thrilled as she was before. Her concern for her "buddy's" well-being is too much of a distraction. Instead of window-shopping she kneels at table and waits for him to return. His mother approaches her.

"I'm so glad you're here, Chikara-chan," the shop keeper says. Chika raises an eyebrow.

"Me too, but...Why, if you don't mind me asking?"

"When he came home yesterday he was furious. I'm not sure what happened but he mentioned you before running into his room."

What is _up_ with that kid?!

"Oh, please don't be mad at him…" Mrs. Tatsumi begs when Chikara looks frustrated. "Sometimes it's hard for him to socialize."

"I figured…" the green-eyed woman smiles weakly. "I'm not mad at him. It's just…I want him to realize that I want to be his friend. I'm not doing it for kicks and he doesn't have to prove to me that he's some tough guy." she pauses for a moment before whispering "…Oh man, he _is_ like Aki…"

"Kanji mentioned this 'Aki' person before. Is it really true that you were mentored by the boxer?"

"Mhm…Well, I mean, I'm his wife now, so..."

"Is that right? I didn't know he was married..." the elderly woman says before hearing a knock on the door. "Hold that thought. I have a customer. I'll be right back, Chikara."

She makes her way to the store's entrance before pausing and facing her guest again.

"Oh, and…thank you for looking after my Kanji," she says before leaving.

"No problem…" Chika says. Mrs. Tatsumi probably didn't mean anything by it, but her comment about marriage stung. This is not the first time someone said they were unaware of the matrimony. Well, Akihiko is introverted, but...really? No one? Surely he gets approached by women all the time, like in high school. He turns them down and then says why...right?

"You owe me an explanation, Aki…" she mumbles. As she waits for Mrs. Tatsumi to return she listens in on the conversation. She's surprised to hear a young male's voice at a textile shop of all places but realizes it sounds familiar. She stands up and sprints to the building's entrance before nearly knocking down Yu. His eyes widen when he sees her and he tries to think of a way to escape.

"Yu?! W...Why are you here?" she wonders.

"He's looking for Kanji too. He's always wandering off so I can't help him," Mrs. Tatsumi sighs.

He's trying to follow him again? Now Chika has to know what's going on.

"Why? What do you want with him?"

"...I'm interested in biker gangs," Yu lies. "I saw Kanji on the news, so I thought..."

"But...my Kanji's not a biker," Mrs. Tatsumi says.

"Yeah!" Chikara fervently nods her head. "He was probably ticked off because of the noise they were making in the middle of the night!"

"And it's my fault he pursued them. I was the one who was having trouble sleeping and..."

"Whoa, seriously?" Chikara stares at the mother for a moment. "Huh. Good kid."

Yu looks pleadingly at Chika, who he trusts would know something's wrong. She quickly catches on and says "But if you want to hear it from the man himself, then go right ahead."

"You know...there was a small boy who came asking about him not too long ago," Mrs. Tatsumi decides to play along. "I talked to him too, but I haven't seen him around lately."

Small boy? Does she mean the person Kanji went out with yesterday?

"Okay. Thank you," Yu bows before leaving.

"H-He's not a...!" the teacher states before stopping herself. She plants her hand on her face out of frustration. "Well, anyway...He's pretty reliable for his age. I'm sure he'll find your kid."

_So I can give him a good smack..._

* * *

><p>After Yu and the others failed to find the boy, they decided to get some more practice in inside Yukiko's Castle before trying again. Yosuke takes Bunny from Teddie's back and gives her a piggyback ride. Teddie is evidently saddened by this as the brunet hands his friend headphones for comfort. Bunny attempts to take them but Yosuke initially doesn't let go.<p>

"What are you...?" the white-haired girl begins.

"Don't push him away, Bunny," Yosuke whispers. "Tell him how you feel."

"B-But..."

"So, are you guys ready?" Teddie asks. "I think you're getting close to that powerful shadow I sensed the other day."

"You don't have to support us today either," Yukiko informs him as she unfolds her fan.

"Yeah, we got Bunny with us!" Chie agrees.

"O-Oh...Okay..." the strange bear says unhappily. Bunny notices and, after heeding Yosuke's suggestion, decides to swallow her pride for once.

"Actually, I'd rather stay with him right now..." she mumbles as her ears droop. "I'm...just not used to being separated from him, y'know? You guys understand, right?"

"Of course..." Yukiko smiles. Bunny releases her friend's headphones before Teddie grabs her arm and hurls her onto her back.

"Finally, you're making sense, Bunny Rabbit! You were gonna give me a heart attack!" he lectures her.

"Shut it, bear..." she growls.

"This is probably for the best. We were kinda struggling with just three people in our team," Chie admits, chuckling. "We'll see you guys later!"

"Don't slow the guys down!" Bunny says. The girls choose to ignore her as they enter the castle. Besides the fighting and Teddie's occasional conversations with the students, the entrance to the dungeon's top floor is silent.

"...So..." the bear in clown attire says after a while, "you're not mad at me anymore?"

"I hate to say this, but...it's hard to stay angry at you," Bunny replies.

"Heh, I can't blame you. I _am_ pretty adorable."

"No, stupid..." his companion sighs before nuzzling his fur. "It's just...you're my Teddie Bear...and...I owe you my life. I...care about you..."

"What are you trying to say?" Teddie wonders, noticing the pause.

"W-Well...um...I-I care...a lot about you...and..." the long-eared girl blushes. "I want you...to...feel the same...I guess..."

"Well, sure I do!" he smiles confusingly. Bunny's heart skips a beat. She accidentally clutches onto Teddie's fur as she tries her damnedest to calm down.

"You...You do?"

"Uh-huh! You're like a sister to me!"

_You're like a sister to me!_

...like a sister to me!

...sister to me!

...sister...

"Sis...ter...?" Bunny mimics feebly.

"Yup. We've known each other forever. What else would I think of you as?"

...Then...without thinking...Bunny hits Teddie on the head harder than she ever has. A large bump swells from where she made contact.

"Owww! Why did you-"

"Teddie..." Bunny states through gritted teeth, "I think I want to go with them next time..."

"Wh-Wha? You're mad at me _again_?"

Yu and his teammates are having great difficulty with the powerful shadow. Physical attacks are not very effective and he can send them back tenfold. No matter how many times they call for Teddie and Bunny they don't respond. They're too busy arguing again.

"I think we made a huge mistake..." Yukiko groans, guarding after realizing that the boss absorbs fire attacks.

_"I said let me go with them! Let me go, let me go, LET ME GO!"_

"Okay, okay, sheesh! What did I do now?"

"Yup..." Yosuke agrees after casting Dia on the hurt fire-caster. "Teddie, you idiot..."

* * *

><p>The next day, Chikara takes over Mr. Morooka's Philosophy class while he's running his mysterious errands. As she teaches, she occasionally stops mid-sentence, leans against the desk behind her, or taps her foot. Her peculiar body language catches a student's attention so he raises his hand and asks what's wrong.<p>

"Is it that obvious?" she smiles weakly. "I'm just a little worried about a friend of mine. I'm sure he's in good hands, though."

As she says this, she can't help but be anxious. Kanji wasn't at the textile shop all day yesterday. She suspected something was amiss ever since that television show...

A few nights ago Chika decided to try out a rumor she heard from a gas station attendant when she first moved to Inaba. If she remembered correctly, she could see her soulmate if she stared at a blank television screen alone on a rainy night. It was pouring that night so she figured, why not? So...she waited...and waited...and before she realized how stupid the rumor was she saw something.

And boy, was it something.

It was Kanji. And he was almost naked with only a towel covering his nether regions. And he was acting very..._very_ gay.

"...I fucking knew it," was the first thing she said.

Kanji's disappearance doesn't help matters. What if that cheesy TV set is where Kanji is? If so, why? Are Yu and his friends hiding something?

She is going to find out today.

After class she initiates her own stakeout and discreetly follows her students to their destination. First they separate and, based on their interrogations, are gathering information about Kanji. She decides to tail Yu. He goes to the Junes department store and talks to the small boy Kanji was last seen with. The person says rather vague things about the platinum blond that...well...anyone who sees Kanji misbehave could tell Yu. Her student somehow finds the information sufficient and calls the others. Chika stays hidden until he takes the elevator. She takes the one next to it.

After a brief conversation the group migrates to the electronics department. Why are they going shopping after asking about a missing kid? Now Chikara must know what they're up to.

...Did Chie just hop into a flat screen TV? Chikara rubs her eyes and smacks her cheeks a few times. She even pinches her arm. Is she asleep? Is she going insane? What in the world...?

No...It's real...Yukiko goes in next...then Yosuke...Without thinking, Chika comes out of her hiding place and rushes to Yu when his body is halfway inside. She grabs his visible shoulder.

"H-Hey, wai-"

Yu looks back at her but something is sucking him inside the television and he can't stop. Chika can feel something metallic beneath his school uniform. Armor? She knew something was different about these kids. Her curiosity...Her challenging nature...Her subconscious desire to fight non-human enemies again prevents her from letting go.

Before she realizes that she's powerless without her weapon or Evoker, she falls through a black and white vortex.


	5. Chapter 4

Chikara is too shocked at first to make a sound. The last thing she remembers is seeing her students do the impossible. Her glasses were knocked off her face during the fall. She can't see a thing and believes it's because of her poor eyesight. She turns from her back to her side and grabs the nearby blob that turns out to be her spectacles. After putting them on she realizes that the area's vision, not her own, is messed up. She lifts her upper body with her arms and sees a…crime scene? There are body outlines scattered around a black and white target. The area as a whole looks like a television studio hovering over nothingness. As Chika turns onto her back and holds herself up with her lower arms, she sees yet another peculiar sight. Through the yellow fog, a clown-like teddy bear is staring at her while holding a girl with floppy ears on its back.

"Mrs. Sanada?!" Yosuke exclaims, snapping her back into reality.

"What is…Where…How…?" the young teacher tries to form a sentence as she staggers onto her feet. "Th-This place is giving me a bad vibe..."

The Investigation Team looks at each other. They aren't sure how to explain the situation without sounding crazy.

"Well…We don't know much about the world ourselves," says Chie, "but we know that someone's throwing people in here. When the fog lifts in here, they…"

"The point is, we need to rescue them before that happens," Yosuke butts in. The others nod in agreement.

"Oh!" Chikara lights up. "I used to do something like that with my friends in high school."

"What? No way."

"No, it's true! You see, my school used to change into this big…freaky tower-looking thing at night and sometimes we had to rescue people who were trapped inside. …I remember…the Shadows…"

"You had Shadows where you lived too?" asks Yu.

"Mm-hm...Aki and Junpei were with me at the time."

"Wow, that's amazing, Miss!" Teddie says, eyes glistening. "Is that why you already have glasses? I thought only I knew how to make them. You already know how to deal with Shadows? …Ow!"

Bunny smacks Teddie on the head when he starts pestering the newcomer.

"Slooow down, dude. These are prescription glasses, first of all. Not sure how that's relevant, but…I haven't fought those things in years. I don't think I'd be much help…" Chikara senses the younger teens' eyes on her so she decides to turn them down while she's ahead. "I don't even have my Evoker with me."

"Evoker?"

"A, uh…ahem, way for me to summon my Persona…" she leaves out the shape of the object.

"Persona?!" everyone exclaims.

"You _have_ one?" says Yosuke.

"Um…wow, yeah. …You guys do too?"

They nod.

"Jeez, I thought my friends and I were special…" Chikara mumbles. "…But enough about that. You said you're here to rescue people, right? Who exactly…I mean, why are you here?"

Yu begins to shift nervously and the others follow suit. He must have told them about his and Chika's confrontation at the textile shop. It doesn't take long for the teacher to answer her own question. Her eyes widen not only because Kanji may be in danger; she couldn't do anything to help without getting in the way.

"…Please hurry," is all she can say.

…

Chikara couldn't sleep that night. She's worried about her students and new friend. She wraps her phone in her tightly-clenched hands, having flashbacks about being a new member of S.E.E.S. She was young, inexperienced, and terrified. It took her weeks to gather the courage to place the Evoker next to her head and pull the trigger. Thankfully, supportive friends and having no other option helped fix that.

Now that she's alone and unprepared, however, she's regaining that same feeling. The difficulty breathing, the cloudy thoughts, the fear of insanity… She needs to hear someone's voice in the large, dark temporary home.

"_Jeez, you complained about me waking you up?_"

"A-Aki…The Shadows, they're…"

"_…No…Where are you right now? Do you need me to get you?_"

"No, no, I'm fine…It's just…Was all that we did for nothing…? I don't…This is really bothering me…Now some kids who're around our age when we were doing it are risking their lives to save someone they don't really know and…"

"_Chika, just…breathe for a moment. We didn't know what we were doing when we first started either and we turned out okay, right?_"

"I know, I know…" she sighs. "But…Maybe this is bugging me because I know I can do something…I know something about it but I…can't, y'know?"

"_It's okay to be scared._"

"No it's not! I want to help them! Is there any way you can…I dunno, contact Mitsuru and ask if she still has the Evokers?"

"_Chika, think about what you're doing…_"

"No. I'm sorry but I can't let this slide. I figured that you of all people would understand."

"_…Fine._"

"You're not mad, are you?"

"_Course not._"

Liar.

"_Before I call her, promise me that you'll sleep on it,_" says the boxer. "_I still think you're doing this on a whim._"

"But the longer I wait…"

"_Just have a little faith. Besides, it's been a while and you may be a little rusty..._"

...What the hell, Aki.

"…Alright. Okay, I'll think about it. But my decision is pretty much final. Just letting you know."

"_Noted. …Well, I'm kinda tired, so…_"

"R-Right, sorry for waking you. Good night."

"_Night._"

Akihiko hangs up abruptly. Yeah, he's definitely pissed. He's not fond of other people's recklessness. Chika wouldn't be annoyed by his reaction if he wasn't being a hypocrite…

…

At the end of the lesson a few days later, Chikara leans on the desk, sighs, and stretches. While Yu stands from his desk, he and the teacher lock eyes. He gives her a smile and a thumbs-up, lifting a huge weight from her shoulders. So he's okay…

Chika rushes to the textile shop as soon as she could and asks Mrs. Tatsumi about her son's condition.

"Yukiko-chan brought him back, thank goodness. He's tired, though. Went straight to his room. Perhaps you could visit another time?"

"Oh, I'll only be a second. Please?"

"…Well, I suppose that's okay, but be quiet."

Chikara sneaks inside Kanji's room. He's fast asleep, sprawled lifelessly on his bed and snoring. His room is unusually clean and filled with cloth and handmade dolls. Chika's glad he's alright but she can't help but feel a little sad. Even after being rescued from a kidnapping, but he looks so peaceful...carefree and...childlike as a trail of slobber forms on his chin.

"Lucky brat…" Chika smiles gently before walking back out.


	6. Chapter 5

Chikara is too shocked at first to make a sound. The last thing she remembers is seeing her students do the impossible. Her glasses were knocked off her face during the fall. She can't see a thing and believes it's because of her poor eyesight. She turns from her back to her side and grabs the nearby blob that turns out to be her spectacles. After putting them on she realizes that the area's vision, not her own, is messed up. She lifts her upper body with her arms and sees a…crime scene? There are body outlines scattered around a black and white target. The area as a whole looks like a television studio hovering over nothingness. As Chika turns onto her back and holds herself up with her lower arms, she sees yet another peculiar sight. Through the yellow fog, a clown-like teddy bear is staring at her while holding a girl with floppy ears on its back.

"Mrs. Sanada?!" Yosuke exclaims, snapping her back into reality.

"What is…Where…How…?" the young teacher tries to form a sentence as she staggers onto her feet. "Th-This place is giving me a bad vibe..."

The Investigation Team looks at each other. They aren't sure how to explain the situation without sounding crazy.

"Well…We don't know much about the world ourselves," says Chie, "but we know that someone's throwing people in here. When the fog lifts in here, they…"

"The point is, we need to rescue them before that happens," Yosuke butts in. The others nod in agreement.

"Oh!" Chikara lights up. "I used to do something like that with my friends in high school."

"What? No way."

"No, it's true! You see, my school used to change into this big…freaky tower-looking thing at night and sometimes we had to rescue people who were trapped inside. …I remember…the Shadows…"

"You had Shadows where you lived too?" asks Yu.

"Mm-hm...Aki and Junpei were with me at the time."

"Wow, that's amazing, Miss!" Teddie says, eyes glistening. "Is that why you already have glasses? I thought only I knew how to make them. You already know how to deal with Shadows? …Ow!"

Bunny smacks Teddie on the head when he starts pestering the newcomer.

"Slooow down, dude. These are prescription glasses, first of all. Not sure how that's relevant, but…I haven't fought those things in years. I don't think I'd be much help…" Chikara senses the younger teens' eyes on her so she decides to turn them down while she's ahead. "I don't even have my Evoker with me."

"Evoker?"

"A, uh…ahem, way for me to summon my Persona…" she leaves out the shape of the object.

"Persona?!" everyone exclaims.

"You _have_ one?" says Yosuke.

"Um…wow, yeah. …You guys do too?"

They nod.

"Jeez, I thought my friends and I were special…" Chikara mumbles. "…But enough about that. You said you're here to rescue people, right? Who exactly…I mean, why are you here?"

Yu begins to shift nervously and the others follow suit. He must have told them about his and Chika's confrontation at the textile shop. It doesn't take long for the teacher to answer her own question. Her eyes widen not only because Kanji may be in danger; she couldn't do anything to help without getting in the way.

"…Please hurry," is all she can say.

Chikara couldn't sleep that night. She's worried about her students and new friend. She wraps her phone in her tightly-clenched hands, having flashbacks about being a new member of S.E.E.S. She was young, inexperienced, and terrified. It took her weeks to gather the courage to place the Evoker next to her head and pull the trigger. Thankfully, supportive friends and having no other option helped fix that.

Now that she's alone and unprepared, however, she's regaining that same feeling. The difficulty breathing, the cloudy thoughts, the fear of insanity… She needs to hear someone's voice in the large, dark temporary home.

"_Jeez, you complained about me waking you up?_"

"A-Aki…The Shadows, they're…"

"_…No…Where are you right now? Do you need me to get you?_"

"No, no, I'm fine…It's just…Was all that we did for nothing…? I don't…This is really bothering me…Now some kids who're around our age when we were doing it are risking their lives to save someone they don't really know and…"

"_Chika, just…breathe for a moment. We didn't know what we were doing when we first started either and we turned out okay, right?_"

"I know, I know…" she sighs. "But…Maybe this is bugging me because I know I can do something…I know something about it but I…can't, y'know?"

"_It's okay to be scared._"

"No it's not! I want to help them! Is there any way you can…I dunno, contact Mitsuru and ask if she still has my Evoker?"

"_Chika, think about what you're doing…_"

"No. I'm sorry but I can't let this slide. I figured that you of all people would understand."

"_…Fine._"

"You're not mad, are you?"

"_Course not._"

Liar.

"_Before I call her, promise me that you'll sleep on it,_" says the boxer. "_I still think you're doing this on a whim._"

"But the longer I wait…"

"_Just have a little faith. Besides, it's been a while and you may be a little rusty..._"

...What the hell, Aki.

"…Alright. Okay, I'll think about it. But my decision is pretty much final. Just letting you know."

"_Noted. …Well, I'm kinda tired, so…_"

"R-Right, sorry for waking you. Good night."

"_Night._"

Akihiko hangs up abruptly. Yeah, he's definitely pissed. He's not fond of other people's recklessness. Chika wouldn't be annoyed by his reaction if he wasn't being a hypocrite…

At the end of the lesson a few days later, Chikara leans on the desk, sighs, and stretches. While Yu stands from his desk, he and the teacher lock eyes. He gives her a smile and a thumbs-up, lifting a huge weight from her shoulders. So he's okay…

Chika rushes to the textile shop as soon as she could and asks Mrs. Tatsumi about her son's condition.

"Yukiko-chan brought him back, thank goodness. He's tired, though. Went straight to his room. Perhaps you could visit another time?"

"Oh, I'll only be a second. Please?"

"…Well, I suppose that's okay, but be quiet."

Chikara sneaks inside Kanji's room. He's fast asleep, sprawled lifelessly on his bed and snoring. His room is unusually clean and filled with cloth and handmade dolls. Chika's glad he's alright but she can't help but feel a little sad. Even after being rescued from a kidnapping, but he looks so peaceful...carefree and...childlike as a trail of slobber forms on his chin.

"Lucky brat…" Chika smiles gently before walking back out.


	7. Chapter 6

"B-But sir…!"

"I don't wanna hear it, Ms. Biker Gang! Now get lost!"

As expected, Mr. Morooka saw the news about Chikara's encounter. He wasn't pleased. Chika's never seen him so hostile about something that didn't involve his students. She could practically see steam coming out of his ears. As she holds a box full of her belongings, she's forced out of her boss's office and has the door slammed in her face. She flinches.

"Shit…" she mumbles, partly because of her screw-up. "Well, I didn't want to work in this backwater town anyway!"

With that, she goes straight home. She vowed not to depend completely on Kanji whenever she feels down. He may get the wrong impression again and blab about it…

Once she reaches her apartment, she flings her belongings onto the counter. She falls on the couch, grabs a pillow, buries her face in it, and screams. In her mind she asks herself why, _why_ she confronted the bikers. She and Kanji were the only ones out there trying to be heroes. Why couldn't she stay in bed like a normal person?! She'll soon go home to an irritated husband, but what else is there to do…?

Chika loses track of time as she sulks on her bed. Soon it becomes nighttime. She hears a strange fuzzy noise emitting from her television. She looks up from her chewed-up sheets to see a figure. It's unclear, but definitely a person. He or she is struggling to stay alive, yet is fighting against nothing. It's a familiar silhouette.

What the… It's _her_ silhouette! The screen flashes and the image, as quickly as it appeared, is gone. What…was that?

For the sake of her sanity, she blames what she saw on anxiety and lays back down.

Her fears are realized once the Persona-wielding students have a sudden interest in her.

"H-Hey, Mrs. Sanada! Sooo…Sorry about you losing your job…" Yosuke says. He and his friends somehow find Chikara's home.

"Yeah, uh, look, I'm not really in the mood to talk…" she grumbles while rubbing her eye with one hand and holding a cup of coffee in the other. She's has a robe and slippers on, not exactly "outside" attire.

"Ignore him. We're actually here for a reason," Chie sighs. "We think that you might be in danger."

"That so…" Chika says. She's still half asleep so she pretends to listen. She takes a sip of her caffeine, nodding every few seconds as the kids resume their explanation.

"So look out for anyone suspicious and try to stay home," says Chie. "…I-I guess that's gonna be easier for you now! Ahaha…ha."

That definitely wasn't a jab at the ego…

"Mm," Chikara feigns agreement anyway. Anything to make them leave.

"We'll see you again."

Yu speaks up, surprising his former teacher. She still isn't quite used to how straightforward he is. He reminds her of the girl Shinjiro fell for, and it leaves a bad taste in her mouth. Before her behavior reflects her thoughts, she sees them off and heads back into her house.

* * *

><p>Teddie and Bunny await their friends' return at the crime scene TV set, as usual. Bunny is sitting in a slumped kneeling position. Hands planted to the ground, ears tucked into her snow-colored hair, and head held high, she sniffs around for any impending danger. She feels it's necessary to train her nose to differentiate between Teddie and the enemy. She was recently attacked by the Shadows, which never occurred before. Did she pose a threat to them? Do they, like her and Teddie, base their surroundings on scent and Yosuke's smell rubbed off on her?<p>

…Probably not, but what else could explain what happened?

Teddie doesn't bother to make use of their time while waiting for news about the investigation. He has been staring at the jaundice abyss, paws behind his back and lost in thought. While his companion is still mad about his rejection, she can't help but worry.

"So what if you needed help finding that Kanji guy?" she says. "Everyone has an off day."

"But your nose is as sharp as ever and I…" his voice trails off.

"Don't be stupid. They'd never get rid of you. Without you they'd be stuck in here."

"So cruel…"

"Ugh…Come here."

Teddie reluctantly does so, thinking that he'll be punished for annoying her. Her behavior has become quite unpredictable lately…Once he's in front of her, his squeaky steps tell her he's about to turn around.

"Don't."

He freezes, confused. Bunny reaches out for him, prodding the air. Teddie bends his thick torso until the top of his head faces her. She places her hand on his tuft of fur, grabs, and pulls until she stands.

"What is it?" Teddie wonders, looking up at his slightly taller friend. Instead of answering, she hugs him. It's a warm, loving embrace. Teddie purrs because his face is at chest level. Perverted thoughts cloud his mind until Bunny mutters "They can throw you away, call you a useless bear, but in the end _I'll_ need you."

"…After the fog lifts?" Teddie asks, knowing that the unwelcome mist stands between Bunny and her sight.

"Even after the fog lifts," Bunny smiles.

* * *

><p>Chikara figures that it would be better to tell Akihiko the bad news over the phone so that he would have time to cool off. It would at least be better than returning home early, luggage at her feet, saying "Surpriiiise, I'm unemploooyed!" with jazz hands…That's Plan B.<p>

A plan that is coming closer and closer to fruition because Akihiko isn't answering his cell. Chika begins to panic. How far out does the news reach? Does he already know?

Before having any more farfetched thoughts, she hears the doorbell ring.

"If it's those kids again, I swear…" she mumbles. She's more prepared for socializing with a sundress and refreshed countenance, but she still doesn't want to be bothered. She places her phone next to her glasses on the nightstand and heads to the door. She looks through the peephole to see a slouching deliveryman. She doesn't remember making any recent purchases, despite the weekly Tanaka's Commodities tempting her to. Deciding not to be rude, she opens the door and says there was a misunderstanding.

Her sentence is cut off by the deliveryman's sudden movement. With one fell swoop he plants a piece of cloth onto her nose and mouth. He pulls her close with his free arm. Chika sharply inhales a chemical. She stomps on the man's foot and shoves him. He topples back, giving her time to slam the door and rush to her bedroom. Her consciousness begins to waver. Her running turns into drunken shuffles. She uses nearby furniture and walls as support as she struggles to reach her cell. Colors blur and merge together and she her heart thumps in her ears. The door opens again. She didn't lock it! Her phone…It's just…within…her…reach…

...

Shifting of cloth…Darkened vision…Trouble breathing…Makeshift transportation…And seconds later, a force. A familiar force that envelops Chikara's body. Her elbow bumps into the edge of cold hard plastic, stimulating a sensitive nerve. The bolt of pain is enough to wake her. She grabs onto something solid and hangs on for dear life. The tips of her fingers cling onto the edge. She tells herself repeatedly not to look down as she uses what's left of her strength to pull up. She gets an arm out of the spiraling abyss and presses it against the plastic. Once her hand slaps against something sturdy, she lifts her own weight as much as she can. Although she's dry, the sensation is reminiscent to emerging from a swimming pool. Just as her ears exit the strange world, she hears slimy gurgling. She'd know that sound anywhere; it's coming from _them_. Are they right below her…? Her breath quickens and she extracts the upper half of her body with another strained tug. Exhausted, she places her hands evenly apart on the plastic edge and tries to finish the job. To her frustration, she's at her limit. Replacing the hyperventilating with a deep, slow breath, she lowers her head. Her hair cloaks her face as she closes her eyes. The least she can do is figure out where she is. Okay. She can feel movement so she's in a vehicle. Roomy enough to be a truck. So there's a latch on the door…meaning it's locked from the outside. There's no way out without her kidnapper's help. Great.

_**Hmhm…You really are hopeless…**_

And now she's hearing voices. This really is the end.

_**HmhmhmhmahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, you're gonna be fun…**_

That voice is hers.

"Wha-"

The truck hits a pothole, sending Chika flying towards the door. Once her back makes contact, she hears metal sliding against metal before blacking out.

* * *

><p>"T-Teddie…"<p>

Bunny starts to tremble. A new threat, and therefore a new victim if nothing is accomplished, has arrived.

"Yeah, I smell it too," says the bear. "…But…that's weird…"

"What?"

"I…know something's different, but…it smells…off."

* * *

><p>Chikara uses her shoulder and what's left of her stamina to hit the door again. Metal against metal. The latch is movable. There's still hope! Without her phone or a clue where she is, there still may be trouble, but it's better than just sitting around. Just a little bit more…She hits it again and falls. That's it. She can't do anymore. The doors open. She tumbles onto the coarse road slides a few feet, collecting pebbles and nicks on the way. Chika chuckles weakly while lying on her side. The driver speeds off, somehow unaware of the noise. He must have a one-track mind if he wasn't prepared for any backfires…<p>

Sitting up, she hears the heart-wrenching sound of a car quickly approaching. She recoils, preparing for the impact. It screeches, missing her by mere inches. At this point, she's not sure if she's using up all of her luck in one day. A car door opens. Out comes an unexpected face.

"Chikara!" Akihiko shouts before rushing to her and scooping her up. He takes her off the road and carefully lays her down. His usually hardened gray eyes are filled with terror. Instead of his typical gym wear, he decided to sport a black and red suit for the surprise visit.

"Aki…Th-That man, he…and…I-I…" Chika struggles to say as Akihiko coddles her.

"It's okay….It's okay…" he says until she passes out.

"…and then I got out. I'm pretty sure it was a TV like last time," Chikara explains after recovering at her apartment. She was patched up by her husband, who grew accustomed to injuries. Luckily she didn't cause any permanent damages. Akihiko sits next to her on the couch she slept on.

"Well…We've seen stranger things," he says. "Maybe you need this after all."

He pulls on a jacket flap and takes an Evoker out of the hidden pocket. He places it on the short coffee table in front of them. The gun-shaped Persona summoner was one of the few indications that you were a member of S.E.E.S.

"You mean you…" Chika states disbelievingly.

"I had a talk with Mitsuru and she said that I should trust you more," says Aki, brushing back his eye color-matching hair. "Besides, now that the Shadows know about you, it wouldn't hurt to keep it around."

Chikara grins before knocking her husband back with a hug and saying "Thank you!" several times in rapid succession. Aki chuckles.

"For someone who's scared of them, you hardly turn down a chance to face them."

"I learned from the best," Chika sneers.

"I know, honey," Akihiko leans in to kiss her on the forehead. "But you shouldn't jump into it right away. Go to work tomorrow, if you can. Take your mind off things."

"…Right, um…" Chikara stares at the floor, patting her thighs interchangeably. Aki raises an eyebrow.

"What did you do _now_?" he asks.

"I-Is the 'now' really necessary?" Chika scoffs. "…Well, it's just…it's a good thing you're here. It means I…won't have to take the train…"

"...Why do you have to take the train so early…?"

"Beeecaaaause mybosssawmeontvfightingabikergangwithKanji!" Chika shuts her eyes and spills the whole thing. After a brief silence, she reopens an eye to see why Aki didn't lecture her yet. He definitely looks disappointed, just…quiet.

"I'm used to it by now," he finally says, sighing. "You say that I should stop treating you like my kohai-"

"Because I'm _not_ your kohai anymore."

"-but you're making it hard."

"Oh, come _on_, it's not like I had a choice!"

"Really. They pursued you. They picked a fight with you."

"Yeah! …Kinda! Look, I was trying to help out a friend and it didn't work out as planned. It's…just a little hiccup!" Chikara states before remembering something. "…And you're not exactly being mature either! I heard some things. People here have no idea who I am!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"_Please_, don't act like you didn't freak out at the thought of dating. It took _months_ for you to talk to me as a girl instead of a sparring partner. Gods for_bid_, someone found out that we're married. I get that you're a big shot or whatever and you move around a lot, but it's gotten to the point where you don't even _mention_ me!" Chika quickly wipes away emerging tears.

"I mention you all the time."

"As your wife?"

More silence.

"…Aki…Are you embarrassed of me?"

Akihiko leans toward the table, focused on the opposite wall and hands intertwined. It takes him a while to respond.

"It's not like I'm…I mean, sometimes it's…difficult to…"

Chikara doesn't give him a chance to finish. She stands, snatches the Evoker at an awkward angle, and marches to her room. Akihiko doesn't budge as she slams the door.

Akihiko waits a few hours before approaching his beloved. She's fast asleep, the Evoker still tightly in her grasp. She's curled up in a ball, and there's evidence that she's been crying and trashing the room. Another one of her tantrums…Aki does love her, he's sure of it, but…it's a side of her that becomes more unnatural as time passes. What's causing her to revert to her pre-S.E.E.S. personality?

Whatever it is, Aki refuses to give up on her. He already did so with the leader after discovering her infidelity. He sits on the bed, careful not to make it creak. He sweeps some hair out of her face with his hand before resting it on her cheek. He smiles weakly. Akihiko loves her and she loves him…and it'll work out. He's sure of it.


	8. Chapter 7

Akihiko leans against the bedpost, eyelids feeling heavy. Chikara is snuggled up against his lap. As he begins to nod off, the television turns on on its own. He squints as it broadcasts a sharp image of Chikara. While staring, he pats the bedding around him while assuming he accidentally turned the TV on. He even lifts his body, careful not to wake his wife, to see if he's sitting on the remote control. He checks the screen again. Broadcasted Chika is wearing a blazer and skirt whose bland color contrasts those of her sundresses. With a tightly bound hair bun and business-like clothing, she's almost unrecognizable.

That is, until the adjustment of her glasses is accompanied by a creepy, toothy grin.

"_Hello, class!_" she states at the head of an empty Yasogami classroom. She's staring directly at the viewer.

"_My name is_," she clenches her hand and then unfolds it to reveal a piece of chalk, possibly derived from her sleeve. She whirls around and, through exaggerated movement, writes her name in katakana, "_Chi…ka…ra….Sa…na…da_," before trailing the edge of the last syllable underneath the rest of the name. Akihiko is dumbfounded. When was one of Chikara's sessions recorded? Was that why she decided to dress that way?

"Hey. Hey, Chika," he says, trying to shake tonight's star awake. She responds with an irritated grumble.

"_You mean like the boxer?_" he hears the poor imitation of a female student. Aki ceases his attempts and looks back at the screen. With that, Chikara drops the chalk, making it clank against the metal holder.

"_Why, yes_," she responds, turning back around. "_Now can anyone guess how we're related?_"

"_Are you, like, his little sister?_" says another imaginary student.

"_I may as well be!_" she says without a blink. "_Such a smart class…We're married, actually._"

Like a cheesy sitcom, the comment signals a recorded 'Dun-dun-duuuun!'.

"_I didn't know he was married!_" the student gasps.

"_I'd be surprised if you did! Hubby never told anyone…_" Chikara stares downward and pouts. Akihiko grimaces.

"_Then again_," her piercing eyes glance at the camera again, "_we all have our secrets._"

What? Did he hear that right? Chikara cracks if someone so much as glares at her. She can't be hiding something…

"_Secrets so chilling, so scandalous, so flat-out __heartless__ that they would even make Akihiko lose his cool!_" she squeals while clamping her hands onto her cheeks. "_And you, my dear class, will have the opportunity to learn every juicy detail about my love life!_"

The reception begins to weaken. Her forefinger points upward next to her winking eye. The finger ticks like a metronome as she says "_Just. Stay. Tuned!_" The screen blackens, and the weird show is over.

Chikara watches from a car's passenger seat as Akihiko drives over the Samegawa flood plain. Its fish-filled waters are gleaming under the cloudless sky. An elderly man is near the gravel covered shore with a fisherman. Behind them there is a slope accompanied with stone stairs, which lead to a path most students take each morning. After spending most of her life in a city (on an artificial island, of all things), Chika embraced her stay in the rural town. …At least, until yesterday's attack. Now she can't even enjoy sightseeing. She checks her phone for messages like clockwork. Still nothing from Kanji? Where the hell is that kid…

* * *

><p>In the TV realm, the Investigation Team waits for Kanji, who's sporting his new shades, to describe Chikara to Teddie and Bunny. The bear gives him an understanding nod before he and his partner go sniffing around. Yosuke watches them while the others chat and joke around. Chie notices that he's distracted.<p>

"Ooh, I see you staring at Bunny, Yosuke!" Chie nudges his arm, making him jump.

"What're you talking about?"

"Come ooon, I know you two get your flirt on when you're alone…" she says. Her nudging becomes relentless so Yosuke shakes her off.

"I-It's not like that! Besides…She's pretty much Teddie's girlfriend."

"Her and Teddie? Ha! Not gonna happen, dude."

"But just…look at them!" Yosuke gestures at the creatures. Bunny is on Teddie's back, as usual. Teddie must have said a dirty joke because his companion promptly smacks him on the head. "Sure, they bicker like an old couple, but they'd do anything for each other."

"You sure don't sound too happy about it."

Yosuke shrugs off the remark and looks away.

"…Wait. Something _did_ happen, didn't it?"

"N-No!"

"You suck at lying. What happened? Did she reject you? What?"

"Why's that your first guess…?" Yosuke's eyes narrow. "And no. …If it'll get you off my back, it was the opposite."

"Wha..."

"Y'know…She…She said that she liked me."

"She likes _you_?!" Chie doesn't bother to suppress her laughter. It catches their friends' attention.

"Oh, I want to hear the joke! Say it again!" Yukiko says excitedly.

"N-No, you don't. It's not nearly as funny as Chie's making it out to be. Excuse us for a sec," Yosuke says as he grabs the tomboy's arm and pulls her away from the team. The others, including the pouting Yukiko, soon continue talking.

"I'm serious!" Yosuke hisses.

"Well…I guess the only one she can compare you to is Teddie…" Chie nods as if she solved a mystery.

"Shut up," Yosuke rolls his eyes.

"So what happened?"

"I, um…"

Chie takes the silence as Yosuke withholding an unforgivable truth. She leans into the boy's personal space and buries her forefinger into his chest.

"I swear, if you made her cry, I'm gonna-" she begins.

"No, no, wait!" Yosuke distances himself from her with his hands held up between them. "I think it was a spur of the moment thing anyway, so I had to turn her down…"

Bunny's ears begin to droop as she tightens her grip on Teddie's fur.

"What's wrong, Bunny Rabbit?" Teddie stops his searching and looks at her.

"I seem to be popular today…" she growls, nodding toward the source of the voices.

"Hey, guys!" Teddie says, scaring the others. "Cut it out! I can't concentrate."

"…Nice going, Yosuke," says Chie.

"Oh, I'm the bad guy?" Yosuke says disbelievingly as he points at himself.

* * *

><p>"You really need a bag," Akihiko tells Chikara when she puts her phone in the pocket of the passenger door.<p>

"It hardly leaves the house. There's no point," she says while adjusting her seat back. "So why are we doing this again?"

"You have to tell the cops what happened."

"What good'll that do? It's not like they can go inside the TV…"

"It's better than going head-first without a plan."

"I have a plan! Get in, beat up some Shadows, and get out. Just like old times."

"…Yeah, but…"

Chika takes note of Aki's pained expression. She knows that rebelling will prove to be difficult now that he's here.

"Fiiine, I'll do it," she says with a weak smile. "Don't have a stroke."

They reach Okina City, home of a café, some clothing stores, the movie theater, and the police station respectively. Akihiko parks in front of the station and drags Chika inside. The former teacher takes her phone in case she gets the call or text she's been waiting for. The building is full of officers and detectives buzzing through the halls or answering the persistent telephones at their desks. Akihiko approaches an older man with stubble and bags under his stern eyes. His dark-colored suit reeks of cigarette smoke. The man next to him is younger, in simpler attire, and less serious about work based on the goofy smile and crooked tie. Their names are Ryotaro Dojima and Tohru Adachi.

While Chikara doesn't give Adachi a second glance, she can feel his eyes on her. It's a little creepy.

Chika and Aki tell the detectives that they may have information about the kidnapper on the loose. They lead the couple to an interrogation room without hesitation. They must not have had any news yet… The room is simple with a metal table and some chairs in the center, a one-way mirror, and a small television in the back. Everyone gets situated. The older gentleman is the interrogator and Chikara the interrogated. Adachi and Akihiko stand next to their partners.

"…Aren't you the girl from that news special?" Dojima immediately aims for the jugular. Chika senses another set of eyes burning holes in her.

"Y-Yeah…" she rubs the back of her neck. "Not really my proudest moment…"

"Hm, 'ts a shame. My nephew really took a shine to you."

"Nephew?"

"Yeah, Yu Narukami, one of your old students. He's a quiet kid but you probably know 'im."

"…Huh…" Chika stares at the table as if she is guilty of something.

"Look," says Dojima, and the girl does just that, "I know that's not what you're here for. All I'm saying is to be a little more careful."

Dojima taps his arm. Chikara soon realizes he's referring to the bandages wrapped around her own arm.

"Oh, um, this isn't from the fight," she explains. "…Let's just say that my life flashed before my eyes twice yesterday…"

"S-Sorry about that," Akihiko says.

"It's okay, honey. There's no way you would've known that a person would fall out of the back of a truck."

"A truck?" Dojima asks. Chika flinches and gives the table another staring contest.

"Um, I…I _think_ it was a truck. It's all kind of a blur, haha."

"Wh…" Akihiko speaks up again. "Of course it was a tr-"

"I said I'm not sure," Chikara's voice has a tone that tells Aki to play along. He bites his lip and lets the questioning presume.

"So you don't remember?" the detective asks.

"The doorbell rang and…" she's quiet for a second, pretending to think. "I ended up on something moving. Maybe a truck. That's all I remember."

"…Alright. Well, if you remember anything else, anything at all, don't hesitate to let us know," Dojima says as he pushes his seat back and stands up.

"I will. Thank you," Chikara follows suit and shakes his hand. She leaves the room and Akihiko begins to follow, but is stopped by Dojima placing his hand on his shoulder.

"This is more common than you think," says the detective. "Kidnap victims tend to protect the identity of the kidnapper due to pity, fear of retaliation, things like that."

"…You don't know my wife," Aki groans. The older man, caught off guard, lets him go and watches him chase after the elusive girl.

"So what was that all about?" Aki says during their drive back home.

"That boy the cop mentioned, Yu? He's one of the kids with the potential. I can't tell him anything!"

"You could've left some information out."

"Yu must've kept their involvement a secret for a reason," Chika mumbles, scratching her chin. "…And what if the guy finds out and escapes to that weird world? What if the kids get in trouble? Our only source of help in this town would be held in custody and we wouldn't have a clue what to do next!"

"Hm, true. Last time we had Mitsuru and the Kirijo Group, the police, and…as much as I hate to say it, Ikutsuki there to help us out. Here, just a bunch of high schoolers who might know the gist of what's going on."

"Man, this is big. _Huge_. That world…it's, it's dangerous. I could tell just by looking at it. It could cause a panic if it isn't watched constantly."

"Which is why we are going to make sure it doesn't."

'We'? Wait a minute.

"You weren't planning on fighting, were you?" Chikara smiles impishly.

"Heh. You know me well."

"Then what's your deal whenever _I_ wanna fight?"

"Because I worry. I mean, who wouldn't?"

"I get that, but I trained under you. You're pretty much saying that you're not confident in your teachings."

"…Okay, okay. Truth is…I…I wasn't here…when you fought."

"Aw…You didn't want to be left out?" Chika plays with the man's tie. "You're so…incredibly awkward, you know that?"

She rolls her eyes to the right and notices that her phone isn't where she swore she left it.

"Crap, I think I left my cell at the station," she says.

"Want me to turn around?"

"Nah, I don't need it now."

Chika instead directs Akihiko to the Junes department store. She has a pretty good idea of where her friends are. She takes Aki's hand and leads him up the elevator, to the electronics department, explaining on the way. They walk by a row of television displays until they reach the one where Chika witnessed the impossible.

"You sure this is the right one?" the boxer asks.

"Pretty sure. It's the right size and I recognize the poster," Chikara explains, pointing at the sepia picture of the talking bird on the wall.

"And you only saw the ones with the potential in there?"

"…That, I'm not sure. They mentioned Personas but I haven't actually seen them."

"Hm…" Akihiko observes the TV, seeing if there's a false back or a special function listed. He then looks around for any passersby before pressing his hand on the screen. It goes through. "Wow…" he breathes as he pulls back. A grin crosses his face and his eyes begin to flare up. His muscles tense, fists clench…He's ready to fight. The old Akihiko is beginning to surface.

"Cool, right?" Chika says. "Now let's go!"

Wanting to follow Aki, she puts her hand on the television. The knuckle bumps against the impermeable glass.


	9. Chapter 8

"Huh…?" Chikara tries again. She pushes the screen and recoils when the television begins to lean. "I know I was in that world before…I could barely stay awake when I got out."

"Well, I don't want to leave you here alone," Akihiko says. "What should we do?"

Chika thinks back to her previous, unintentional experiences with the TV world. She lights up when she notices a pattern.

"This should work," she says as she takes Akihiko's hand again. Aki nods before reentering the portal. They both end up falling through the rectangular vortex and on the crime scene-like studio. Akihiko's entrance is less than graceful but Chikara, who tucks and rolls, lands a few feet away without hurting herself. She ends up on her back, limbs spread apart. She struggles to see through the fog. After Akihiko recovers, he bends over to pick up something and sits down next to her.

"You dropped these," he says, dangling a pair of glasses over the girl.

"Again?" she sighs and takes them. To her dismay, she sees a crack in one of the lenses. "I guess these finally reached their limit. So, welcome to," she sweeps the air above her with her arm, "…whatever this is."

"The new Tartarus?"

"…This might pose a bigger threat," Chika says, tucking one of the glasses' wings into her collar. "And, Aki?"

"Hm?"

"Do you have your Evoker on you?"

"Uh, yeah," Akihiko digs the silver handgun out of his coat pocket and hands it to her. "Why?"

"I need to know why I couldn't get in here on my own."

* * *

><p>The Team follows their bear-shaped bloodhound to the newest dungeon's location. Their chatter begins to quiet down as their search takes noticeably longer than usual. Silence, save for Teddie's squeaky feet and determined sniffing, creeps up on them. When their path becomes familiar, Chie is the first to point it out.<p>

"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"Yeah! It's this way…I think," Teddie mutters the last part.

"Are we going around in circles?!" the tomboy stomps her foot

"Waaah, I'm sorry!" the bear cowers.

"Is there something wrong?" Yu asks. "You usually don't lead the way unless you're sure."

"That's the thing," Teddie looks down. "At first I'm beary sure, but then the scent starts to weaken…It changes and I don't know why."

"He's right, I've been having trouble too," Bunny states. "It's like…something makes it different from the others."

"Should we go back?" says Yukiko.

"No! She's gotta be close. We have to keep tryin'!" Kanji snaps. The others stare at him. "Look, she's a brat who annoys the shit outta me, but she's…she's my friend. Turning back ain't an option."

"Kanji-kun…"

"Don't push yourself. Even we get lost in here sometimes," says Teddie. "We'll try to find her, but you guys should go home for now."

"I said…!" Kanji raises his already-booming voice, but is stopped by something in his peripheral vision. "Hey, guys. We're not alone."

* * *

><p>"Hah…hah…" Chikara erratically places the summoner onto her temple. She swallows hard, not willing to relive her past. Once the cold metal of the barrel presses against her skin, she spasms, then takes another breath. No matter how many times she tells herself that the result won't be permanent, the sensation is terrifying. Akihiko places his hand on her shoulder.<p>

"You're fine. You can do this. Just stay calm," he whispers. Chikara shuts her eyes, trying to hide her anger and stop her tears. He didn't need his help all this time. Why does he need him now…? Come on, girl, you've done this before! Dammit, stop shaking! Just…do it. …Come on, do it!

A barrage of 'Wait!', 'Stop!', and 'Don't!' scares her into pulling the trigger. Even though blue glass shards exit the other side instead of blood splatter, the gunshot sounds very real.

"Nooo!" Kanji jumps over the abyss between the railing he's standing on and Chikara. He almost knocks her over with a hug. The others rush to join them using the safe route, watching as Aki shoots daggers in the back of Kanji's head. Chika doesn't notice. She returns the gesture after being frozen for a second or two.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" Chikara says.

"Are you…I mean, how…" Kanji extends his arms, hands clenched to Chikara's arms, to observe the girl's body.

"I thought you didn't like hugs. …Oh, I get it. It's only okay if you start 'em, huh?"

"You dumbass!" the punk pulls her in again. "D'you have any idea how worried we were?"

"Wh, you're the dumbass!" she pushes him away. "If you picked up one of the twenty different times I called you, you would've known that I was okay!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't get bars in this dimension!"

"Whatever. I hope you were tearing your hair out over me, tough guy," Chika sticks out her tongue.

"You didn't have to go through that alone," Kanji ignores the banter. "And now…Shit, you fuckin' piss me off!"

"What's your deal?!" she soon figures out that she's holding the source of Kanji's, and everyone else's, panic in her hand. "Oh, you mean this? No, no, this is my Evoker."

"That's your Evoker?" Yosuke slumps, mouth agape. Chikara inhales sharply. That's right. She never told them how it was used…

"Yeah, so it's harmless," she says. "But my Persona's not coming out for some reason."

"How did you get here?" Yu asks.

"Aki helped me in a few minutes ago."

"No, I mean, here. In this area."

"Maybe Mr. Sanada saved her," Yukiko says, and then every other Team member comes to a realization at once.

"Akihiko Sanada?!"

"What?!"

"No way…"

"This guy's a champ _and_ he has a Persona?" Chie joins the group of fawning kids blocking every possible means of escape for Aki. "Wahow, those Shadows better watch out!"

"I-I didn't really do anything…" Akihiko shows clear signs of discomfort, forcing Chika to rescue him.

"I got out on my own," she says, regaining the kids' attention and convincing them to back off. "It wasn't easy, but I have the scars to prove it. So the secret to getting in here is being a Persona user?"

"That's our guess," Yosuke says. "Which means…"

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," says Yu when Yosuke gives him a concerned look.

"Well, don't leave us in suspense!" Chikara laughs. "What is it?"

"It's possible that your Persona's trapped in here in the form of a Shadow."

"…What?"

"You know what Shadows are, right?"

"Yeah. They're instinct given form. Insatiable, gaudy, blunt…Basically the id of the human psyche."

"And there are special kinds that consume other Shadows and grow," Akihiko helps her finish.

"Right," Yu says, "and when they're accepted by their hosts, they turn into Personas."

"That part is actually news to me," Chikara crosses her arms and lowers her head. "So you're saying my Persona, er, my _Shadow_ is in here somewhere?"

"In a place created by you."

"…Huh."

"You guys sure know a lot. You should be one of us!" Teddie raises one of his mitten-like paws and grins. Bunny wraps her arms around his neck to steady herself. Despite talking to the couple, the bear's glistening eyes are locked on Chikara.

"Like I said, I don't have my Persona," she backs away from him.

"If you don't accept your Shadow, and soon, you might not get it back," Yu points out.

"So make sure that you do, no matter what it has to say," says Yosuke.

"Yeah, got it," Chika nods. "But before we do any of that, I'd like to spend the rest of the day preparing, if that's okay."

The others consent before saying their goodbyes. Most of them exit through the stack of televisions in the center of the crime scene.

"It was a pleasure seeing you again, Mr. Sanada," Yukiko says as she bows. "I'm sorry that it wasn't under better circumstances."

"Hey, I'm more than happy to make anyone who hurts my girl pay," Akihiko places his arm on Chikara's shoulders and raises his opposite fist. Yukiko smiles before walking through the portal, careful not to reveal what's beneath her skirt. Teddie growls, his focus now on Akihiko.

"Teddie Bear, no," Bunny hisses.

"Hmph!" he nosedives between the couple, forcing them apart. "Chika-chan, can I borrow your glasses?"

"What for, little guy?" Chikara asks when she takes the broken spectacles out of her collar. Teddie snatches them away, turns around, and tinkers with them a bit.

"Here," he returns them. "Try them now."

"Wow, they're like new…" the former teacher does so and gasps. "The fog…It's gone!"

"I gave them special lenses for your next visit!"

"Really? Awww, you're a smart widdle clown bear thing, awen't you?" Chikara uses a baby voice as she scratches behind Teddie's ear. The bear growls in a different tune, his face full of bliss. He even takes a moment to cut his eyes at Akihiko while Chikara's distracted.

"Get away…" Bunny snarls.

"Haha, okay, okay, I'm not after your man. Don't worry," Chikara says, rendering the floppy-eared girl speechless.

"So according to those kids, my Shadow exists because I'm hiding something," Chikara says as she and Akihiko return to the first floor via elevator. "But what could I be hiding?"

"You tell me."

"Oh, come on, don't you suspect me too. You know me!"

"I saw your Shadow on TV last night. So I'm going to find out either way."

The girl's face scrunches up, offended by the accusation. She ponders about what her secret may be.

"Shadows are a part of the subconscious," Aki continues. "You'll have to dig, but if you find out what yours has to say before we have to face it, it may save us some trouble."

"…There is something."

The double doors open with a _ding_.

"What is it?"

"W…Well…Back in high school, I-"

"Hey, Miss!"

As the couple heads toward the entrance, it's stopped by a lanky young man with a paper grocery bag in hand.

"Hey…?" Chika tilts her head and squints before making the connection. "Oh, you're that cop from earlier! What're you doing here?"

"Oh, heh, you know," he glances at his cabbage-filled bag. "Grocery shopping. But then I thought, 'maybe if I stay here long enough, I'll run into that nice couple again'."

Shifting the weight to one of his arms, the detective takes Chikara's cellphone out of his pocket and gives it to her.

"So you decided to carry my phone around instead of keeping it at the station where lost items are usually turned in?" Chika asks.

"Uh…aheheh, yeah."

"Well, it's still a nice gesture," she decides to give the pitiful-looking man a break. "So thank you…um…"

"Tohru Adachi."

"Right, right, thanks, Mr. Adachi."

Adachi flashes that stupid smile again before going about his way. He's incompetent but at least he's nice.

"You sure are popular…" Aki mumbles.

"What do you mean?"

"A lot of guys seem to fall all over themselves to impress you."

Chikara scoffs. She looks at the boxer, who averts his gaze. She leans further and further at an angle the more stubborn he is about eye contact.

"…Are you jealous?"

"No."

"You _are _!"

"Am not!"

"Yoooou're jea-lous, yoooou're jea-lous!" Chika does a little dance around Aki as she sings, and his face reddens from both the teasing and crowd they're attracting.

"Let's just get our training over with, alright?" he says as he marches out of the store, his relentless wife trailing behind.


	10. Chapter 9

Before heading home, Chika leads Akihiko to a metal works shop she saw her former students walk in and out of in the past. In retrospect, it should have struck her as odd. Her past exchange with the police force back home must have desensitized her. Once they enter they are greeted by a balding redhead with gashes across his face. He's standing behind a counter covered with weapons he had been working on. To the left, beautifully crafted armor rests on a stand.

"Have you come to look at my art? …Please, look around. Take your time," says the gruff voice of the owner.

…Art? Okaaay…

Akihiko, unfazed, goes to him and has a conversation about fighting. Figures, the only thing he notices is the battle scars. Chikara rolls her eyes and scans the room. Sure, these things look nice, but…they're not the weapons she has grown accustomed to. She tilts the upper half of her body to the right to get a quick glance of the back. Maybe he…yes!

"Excuse me!" she says while straightening herself. "Are those fireworks for sale?"

* * *

><p>Chikara used the last of her cash to get a giant box of fireworks that even Akihiko has some difficulty carrying. Why not? As soon as she gets her persona back she's going straight home. No reason to stay with the bad memories...<p>

"You know you can't use those at your apartment, right?" Akihiko speaks up. "You'd give your neighbors a heart attack."

"Course I know that," Chikara narrows her eyes and stares at the floor.

The sun begins setting by the time they make it home. With a grunt, Akihiko puts the box on the floor next to the coffee table, worried that its weight would snap the furniture in two. Once he turns to face his wife, she had her fists at the ready and a glint in her eye.

"What're you doing, Chika?" Aki wonders.

"I know you. You've been itching for a fight since you got here. I'll give you that fight," Chikara is in a stance, feet placed firmly on the ground. "Come on, my style against yours."

Aki raises an eyebrow, both confused and intrigued. Is this what she meant by preparation? …So be it. Aki removes his black suit jacket and throws it at the couch behind him. He puts up his fists and smirks. He knows going easy on her would be a mistake.

"Alright," is all Akihiko says before he lunges at her. Chikara grins and grabs the extended arm with one hand, pressing on Aki's back with the other. She whirls Aki around her and slams him against a nearby wall. His cheek pressed against the concrete, Chika twists his trapped arm into a painful position behind him.

"Try not to get blood on my carpet, okay, honey?" Chika whispers coyly. Her teasing is cut short by an elbow jutting into her ribcage. While stumbling back, she accidentally lets go. Aki lands an uppercut to the chin. It matters little whether Chika has a strategy; her husband has always been stronger than her. He's clearly holding back but her ears are ringing.

"Don't worry, I won't," says the boxer, giving Chika a taunting 'come here' gesture.

"Ooh, I might actually have to take you seriously…" Chika says.

* * *

><p>Kanji feels that he at least owes the woman a visit, like she did for him. He wasn't given a chance to get what he needed off of his chest because the others were around and they probably would've stopped him. And that guy, Akihiko…What's with that look he gave him? If he had a problem with him, Kanji had no problem settling it…<p>

He reaches the apartment complex and lifts his hand to knock. He hears something slam against the wall on the other side.

"Nngh! Come on, Aki, you can do better than that!" says a muffled Chikara.

"I don't…think you can…take much more, honey…" says a strained-sounding Akihiko. Another crash.

"Hah…Hah…Such a hypocrite…"

Kanji's hand immediately goes back down. Without a word, without even imagining what the hell's going on in there, he does an about-face and walks away.

* * *

><p>After a while, the exhausted coupled ends up on the floor. Chikara is half-conscious, lying on top of her husband. By some miracle, Akihiko slipped up, so she came out victorious.<p>

"Hi," Chika says with as strong a smile as she could manage. She could see a mixture of her sweat and blood dripping onto Aki's drenched face. She wipes the source with the bandage-covered arm, hoping it would soak it up.

"Hey," Aki smirks. "…So that was fun."

"Yeah."

"I love you."

"…Random…" the former teacher raises an eyebrow. She then figures that it's either now or never. "Alright, spill. Why do you choose such weird times to be all lovey-dovey?"

"Wait, is that what this was about? So you can pin me down and get me to talk?"

"Not at first…"

"…" Aki sighs. He's too tired to pry the girl off of him and she's not the type to drop things. "Well, it's like you said. It took me forever to accept you as a woman and, later, a lover. It's just…I dunno, when I'm in danger, when I'm feeling challenged, that's when I feel the most like myself, if that makes sense. If I'm having a regular conversation then yes, I am embarrassed about talking about you as my wife, but not because of you. It never was. I just…freeze up. …Whenever I'm in a fight, I think about you, all the time."

Well, that explains the 'my girl' comment in the TV world, among other things. Chika, dumbfounded that she didn't notice sooner, starts chuckling and shaking her head.

"You're such a dork, you know that?" she says. "…But I love you too."

* * *

><p>Bunny clenches onto Teddie's back when she hears laughter in the distance. The distinct voice definitely comes from Chikara's shadow. It is cold…monstrous…It lasts for a solid minute before it dies down, possibly from running out of breath. Even then, it echoes…mocking them. Bunny shivers, letting Teddie know she hasn't recovered yet.<p>

"She'll be gone tomorrow. I swear it," Teddie assures.

"I don't get it…What's so funny?"

"Maybe she heard one of my puns. They'd slay anybody, heh heh," Teddie tries to get Bunny back to her old self by provoking her, but it doesn't work. She simply sighs and says "Teddie Bear…". The clown's nose wrinkles. What on Earth is wrong with the girl's voice? It sounds…what was it, higher?

"What's wrong? Are you sick?"

"What're you talking about?" her voice is normal now. Maybe he imagined it? …Now that he thinks about it, He also noticed a sudden difficulty in keeping her on his back. Her limbs seem so far away all of a sudden. Sure, Teddie has stubby arms, but she's definitely shorter than he remembers. The bear smiles for a split second. The fog might be losing its effect on her…


End file.
